PLEASANT GROVE, Alabama -- Reflection and patriotism filled the air Thursday as 15 American flags recovered from the debris of the April 27 tornadoes were officially retired and burned in a ceremony at Pleasant Grove City Park.

The crackling pops of the fire were amplified in the silence as observers reminisced about the devastation the area experienced.

"Actually seeing the rubble pile is pretty dramatic because I am a pretty patriotic guy." said Ivan Fogarty, area manager for Ceres Environmental Services.

Ceres, a company working to remove debris in unincorporated Jefferson County and elsewhere, collected most of the flags during its cleanup. Some of the flags were on or inside homes that were struck by tornadoes. In some cases, victims intentionally placed flags on their rubble piles in a symbolic gesture.

At Thursday's event, which was attended by about two dozen people, one additional flag came from a Pleasant Grove resident a few minutes before the ceremony.

"I had this hanging on my house and I want you to have it," the man said as he handed over the formally folded, worn-out flag.

Dan Strunk, scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 21 in Bluff Park, received the flag and put it with the rest.

"These flags are almost like battle flags because they came from rubble and destruction," Strunk said.

For Fogarty and other Ceres workers, that was the emotion they felt as they found and saved flags along their routes.

Saving flags is company policy. Several of its officials, including owner Troy Garrett, served in the military.

Fogarty said tornado victims have shown their appreciation for the company's s effort and for the basic cleanup work it is doing.

"I told my wife, 'I've been hugged more in the last couple of months than I have my entire life,'" Fogarty said.

"I had a lady the other day, she came up to me and she grabbed me by the neck and I thought she would pull me out of my pickup truck. She said, 'I just want to thank you guys.'"

Some Ceres workers have received hams and turkeys from grateful residents, he said.

Ceremony

Thursday's ceremony represented a symbolic moment for all involved as the onlookers and Boy Scouts recited the final Pledge of Allegiance to the 15 burning American flags.

"It represents so many different things -- new flags, new time," said scout Nick Bolding.

Troop 21 conducted this ceremony as it has many times before, but this one was different, Bolding said.

The flags were of many different sizes and conditions, and each told a different story. But each told the same story, too. It was a story emblematic of the tragedies of April 27: Damaged but still present.

Said County Commissioner Jimmie Stephens, who was on hand: "It's appropriate now to retire these flags and bring this chapter of the tragedy to a close, and begin anew as representative of the work beginning for this area."